A serial sex abuser who preyed on boys at a summer school building even after being convicted was not employed there as a caretaker, one of its directors has claimed.
Donal O Loinsigh, who co-runs Ard Scoil Mhuire in Derrybeg, Co Donegal, denied paedophile Michael Ferry, 55, worked full-time for the college.
“Michael Ferry did not have employers, because he was not employed,” he said.
Jailing Ferry for 14 years for raping and molesting four boys, judge Paul Carney said a disturbing feature of the case was that he was kept on at the school despite a previous conviction for abusing a child in 2002.
Judge Carney said this must have been known to local gardai and the school authorities.
But Mr O Loinsigh, one of three directors of Colaiste Cholmcille, which runs Irish language summer courses at the former Ard Scoil Mhuire school building, said Ferry was known locally as the caretaker but was never contractually employed by the present authorities.
While he was previously paid on a casual basis to look after the upkeep of the building, Mr O Loinsigh told the Press Association they took the school keys off him as soon as they learned of the charges against him in 2002.
But he admitted Ferry, from Bunbeg, Gweedore, continued to do odd-jobs around the building, either paid for by the college authorities or sub-contracted by other workers hired in to maintain the school over the winter, since then.
“He would have done odd jobs under supervision, I mean everybody was informed,” he said.
However Derek Mulligan, 24, who was one of Ferry’s victims, hit out at the college.
“He abused people AFTER he was convicted. He has admitted that,” said brave Derek (pictured at the school right).